


Epilogue

by Moonybird



Category: Soul (2020), soul - Fandom
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28407057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonybird/pseuds/Moonybird
Summary: Ten years after Joes travel to "The great before." and his new chance of life.Joe gets a special visit.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 88





	Epilogue

Some people will tell you that your life ends when you turn thirty.

Other people will tell you life doesn’t even begin before you are indeed thirty. Or sometimes even older.

  
  
Typically, it will be people under the age of thirty claiming the first and people over thirty claiming the latter.

My life didn’t begin until the day I met the love of my life… The day my child was born…. The day I had my big break.

My life ended when I finished high school, when my girlfriend left me, when a politician I didn’t like was elected, when I lost my eyesight.

  
People say these things all the time.  
  
The truth though is. None of that is true.  
  
For as long as you are alive…. You are indeed living.  
  
The only question is if you can see it or not.  
  
Become a lost soul or just realize… You are _alive._ And you are _Living._ With each and every breath.  
  
Children seem to know this by instinct, then some of them forget as they grow and become so consumed with big ideas and the meaning of life.  
  
When really… Life is the meaning of life.  
  
Or at least. That is what Joe Gardner had come to believe, what he had started to remember. Ten years ago when he had lived the craziest day of his life.  
  
First offered a full time job at the school, then offered a chance to see his life long dream become reality.  
  
If that wasn’t enough for one day. He had fallen down a manhole, died, returned to earth but accidentally ended up in the body of a cat while a soul which hadn’t been born yet was stuck in his body.

They had traveled between earth and the great before. Joe had managed to get back in his own body and see his dream become true only to realize he had indeed gotten it wrong.  
  
Gone back to the great before and finally, earned himself a new chance at life.

And living he had. For ten years and things were… normal.

The same old apartment, the same old piano that Joe would sit at on a quiet afternoon playing to himself.

The changes in the apartment were few. On the wall was a couple of new posters with his own name on the button and his own face somewhere in the background.

On the shelf was a couple of CD’s with his own name on the back. When you put them on you would be able to hear recordings which included his own piano playing.  
  
One of the CD’s was a movie soundtrack…. The movie had done all right in cinemas. Got a decent score and people had seemed to enjoy the authentic jazz music of that soundtrack.  
  
It sure got the kids at school excited that their music teacher had helped making the soundtrack for an actual movie.  
  
That sure had gotten their attention when it first came out and made everybody much more engaged in the class.

It didn’t even matter to them that their teacher was playing with the worlds best sax player on Fridays and weekends. And had even played across the world now.  
  
No, it was the mediocre movie that got them all excited.

Joe chuckled to himself as he shook his head, his fingers dancing across the piano keys.

You would think that both working as a part time teacher and a part time member of a jazz quartet would be taxing but honestly…. Joe found that the two complimented each other perfectly.  
  


What he learned at the quartet he could use when teaching the kids, and teaching the kids inspired his music with the quartet. It was a win all around.

Just as Joe was about to put his hands down again to create a chord a knock sounded at the door.

Joe halted, he frowned as he looked at his watch. No his student was not supposed to be here for another hour.  
  
The knock sounded again and Joe looked up… A weird feeling in his stomach.

Why though? He felt something, an anticipation. There was someone out there, and this person was…. Important.

The knocking now sounded in quick repeats and Joe stood up so he could walk towards the door, without even thinking he began to rush over there. He grabbed the door handle and then he halted.

For a moment Joe stood till and small knocks sounded again.

Finally Joe turned the door handle opening the door and then…. Joe had to look down to see a little girl.  
  
Ten years old at most.  
  
The girl had dark skin like his own. A massive curly black hair and large brown eyes as she gaped up at Joe.

“Erhm…” Joe halted. “Hi.”

Then the girl grinned as she jumped up and down. “PIANO!” she shouted excited.

Joe blinked astounded as he tried to take in the girl, she was wearing the weirdest yellow dress with a duck pattern on it and on her feet were two big red boots with the shoelaces untied.

“Wow there.” Joe held up his hands. “What are you doing? Where’s your parents.”

“I heard Piano!” The girl said. “Can I see?” she asked.

“See the piano?” Joe asked.

“See you play.” The girl asked.

Joe halted. There was something about this girl, something so very familiar. Joes heart tightened. It couldn’t be could it? And yet… “22?” he asked.

“Huh?” The girl looked up. “Wow! That’s my favorite number. How did you know?”

“Oh. I didn’t.” Joe said. “It’s my favorite number to.”

“Really?” The girl asked. “Cool! Hi I’m Jamie!” she beamed.

“Jamie.” Joe breathed then smiled. “That’s a good name. I’m Joe.”

“Can you teach me piano?” Jamie asked.

“Well… yes.” Joe said. “I do offer classes. Jamie listen, we need to find your parents. They must be really worried.”

“But I want to hear the piano.” Jamie complained in a big pout.

Joe shook his head. “Listen. Let’s go find your parents okay? And if they say it’s okay for you to come inside and listen to the piano. I will play you a piece. How about that?”

“YAAAAY!” Jamie raised her arms as she jumped on the spot. “Teach me the piano!”

“Jamie I didn’t say…” Joe halted. Then he smiled as he shook his head. “Sure. You do know that means you have to come visit me at least ones a week right? And practice a lot.”

“That sounds awesome!” Jamie beamed.

Joe smiled as he shook his head. He stepped out the door so he could close it and lock it, barely had Joe locked the door before Jamie just grabbed his hand and pulled Joe down the stairs. “Come on hurry!” she beamed. “I want to hear you play the piano again.”

Joe chuckled amused as he let the little girl drag him with her. “Slow down.” he asked. “Life is enjoying the moment you know.”

“I know!” The girl grinned as she pulled Joe with her outside into the sunset of a nice summer day in New York.

  
  



End file.
